The Pagan Law
by Musikat12
Summary: Mary comes to the French, destined to marry Francis but love comes in the way and Mary finds herself in love with his half-brother Bash. Mary has a choice; to be with Francis and have no hassle or to be with Bash and fight. Meanwhile, dark forces lurk in the wood and the pagans won't rest until they have Bash back, a true pagan. Can Mary protect him? Rated 12K Adventure & romance
1. Chapter 1

Bash and Mary fanfiction

_**Hi guys, this is my newest fanfic based on the TV series of Reign. If you haven't yet watched Reign, I recommend you do as it is amazing. This fanfic is on Mary Queen of Scotts and her lover Sebastian (Bash). Please review!**_

_Dear Diary,_

_I have arrived in France in one piece. I'm quite worried; especially after the last attempt to kill me at the convent. I fear the next attempt will cost me my life but the nuns have promised me that the French will keep me protected. My biggest fear is that I am to be wed to Francis in a few weeks and I have heard he has slept with many women. Of course they are just rumours but I can't help thinking of if he will be a good husband to me. If he is to get mistress, I will be more than devastated. Of course I know him of childhood but he may have changed. After all, I haven't seen him since I was seven! I am leaving immediately; I am now just packing my possessions._

_Sincerely_

_Mary xxx _

She heard the trumpets play wistfully at her arrival and shut her eyes nervously at her butterflies. Today she would meet Francis; her awaiting husband. She had forgotten what he looked like and what he was like. After all, she hadn't seen him in ages. Mary couldn't help thinking that Francis wouldn't like her; nor her reputation of not keeping to the rules of being a royal.

Mary never engaged with her duties. She never wore fancy clothing or styled her hair or had servants trailing everywhere she went for Mary was different. She liked playing ball and climbing trees and running on the vast fields of the convent and trudging through mud like an animal. What would Francis think of her was she worried about.

Then she had a large feeling of regret build through her veins. Was she prepared enough to be shown to the royal family of France? She had forgotten to style her hair into some fancy way and it was simply hanging down her shoulders with a small plait on the side. Her cloak was also not of the best, having a mud stain on the back of it.

The carriage door opened and Mary heard the whine of the horses. Mary loved to ride. In fact, she had insisted of coming to France on horseback but the nobles didn't allow it as she could be killed. She never understood why people were so paranoid. She was just a human being like everyone else. She wanted to be like everyone else but instead, she was stuck as royalty with many English enemies wanting to take any chance to kill her. Mary was scared to eat, drink and even touch anything, dreading if it were poisoned.

She stepped out of the carriage and then landed on a heap on the grass before her in the most ungraceful way possible. The heels set on her feet were uncomfortable and unstable. Mary sighed as the royal family of France looked down at her in disgust. There was a middle-aged man wearing the crown, a woman the same age next to him with black hair, another woman at the other side with red hair and another crown and a young man about twenty behind with no crown and dark hair.

Mary picked herself up and looked at the people. The woman with black hair stepped forth and smiled at her.

"Hello Mary. I am King Henry's mistress. Welcome to the French court. Your ladies in waiting will arrive in a little." Her voice was cold with a bit of humour sunk in it. The young man, now next to the so called king smirked at Mary. Mary scowled defencelessly and stuck her tongue out at him. He was surprised and he raised an eyebrow. In fact, most of the family must have raised an eyebrow but the awkward silence was soon cut off as Francis approached and pushed past his angry looking family.

Francis looked at Mary and smiled fondly. His appearance was naturally the same having blonde hair brushed back elegantly and shiny brown eyes.

"Your Grace." He bowed down slightly, showing his respects. Mary laughed a little too loud.

"Your Grace; Really? Call me Mary." She looked at Francis and smiled a little. Francis held out his hand to her and she took it. Both of them walked into the castle in silence and every step they took, servants would bow down to them. Mary hated that more than ever.

In the castle, four young girls stood patiently waiting for Mary. One was pale fair with thin lips, another was with mousy-brown, curly hair and blue eyes, one who also had brown hair but straight and pulled into a half pony and also honey blonde with pale skin. Aylee, Lola, Kenna and Greer were Mary's ladies in waiting since childhood. Mary had missed them so much and pulled them into an embrace after squealing with pleasure. They all laughed and ran to the chambers. Mary ran after them but then looked down at the bottom of the stairs she had started to climb at Francis.

"I'll see you at your sister's wedding, alright?" she shouted and took off after her best friends.

She could hear the laughter of her friends as she pushed herself into her chambers. There was a large bed covered in silk and linen. The walls were decorated with a peach background and wine red flowers. It was a large room with a dressing table and a large mirror taking up most of one of the walls. This, Mary could get used to.

Kenna was inclined on a small couch along with Lola whilst Greer and Aylee were leaning on a wall. They were giggling on Francis and someone else. Mary ran up and pounced on top of Greer who screamed hysterically. Mary was light and all her friends could easily piggy back her if they wanted to. Greer laughed and Mary leaned next to her on the wall.

"You can sit on the couch if you want Mary." Lola said politely. Mary hated being treated like a queen and angrily shook her head. Changing the subject, she asked them what they were talking about.

"We're just talking about Francis' half-brother Bash." They giggled loudly altogether.

"Is Bash the annoying one with the dark hair?" Mary sighed, remembering Bash smirking at her for falling. Kenna's jaw dropped low.

"Have you met him already? He's not annoying, he's gorgeous!" her eyes fluttered as she thought of Bash's good looks. Mary rolled her eyes. Kenna fell for any old man. She pushed Kenna jokily.

"What are you wearing to the wedding, girls?" she asked mysteriously. Mary had been to various shops near the convent to get her friends presents; dresses. She had chosen dresses that fit their personalities and she couldn't wait to show them what she had gotten them.

"Actually, I don't know." Greer sighed. Mary screamed out in glee.

"Great, because I've bought you all dresses!" she said joyfully. All four girls squealed and threw themselves at Mary at the same time.

Greer was the first to peer in her gift box. She gasped and lifted a dress gingerly out. It was yellow with green décor and golden sleeves. Greer hugged Mary and folded the dress neatly. Then Kenna took a look at her dress. It was white and lace with a strip of peach at the hem. Lola's was bright red with black diamond shapes running down the skirt of it. Aylee's was with thin straps and was orange like fire altogether with red flowers down the side.

Mary could tell they loved their dresses and left them in peace to go and find her dog Sterling. She could tell he was in the garden. As she felt the fresh air again, she felt like she was at home. Outside is where she truly belonged. Sterling's brown fur was warm as Mary stroked it and hugged the dog. As she let go of him, the dog sprinted into a run, away from Mary and into the forest.

Mary sighed after shouting again and again for Sterling. The forest was big and frightening and Mary wanted help. She ran through the newly cut meadow and into the castle. The door creaked as she jerked the door open and ran with her awful heels clattering at the steps of the marble floors. She needed to get Francis.

As she found herself in a bleak corridor, she turned to Francis' room and knocked after hesitating briefly. Francis peaked through the door and she panicked. He was half naked; shirtless. A giggle was heard from inside of the room. Mary choked for air and Francis looked at her pleadingly. Before he could say anything, she ran away from him. He called her with a weak and raspy voice but she darted down the stairs without care and tripped up on the second to last step, landing on both her knees.

As she swore, another voice came from the stairs and she saw Francis' half-brother scurrying down the stairs. Mary blinked back tears and rouse. She ran away from the reaching hand and into the forest once more. She was going to do it herself.

The forest was filled with greenery and dry mud and specks of dust blanketing the air, almost leaving no breath. Mary took a deep breath and plunged through the forest blindly and hurtled right into a birch tree, spraining her ankle vigorously. She heard a small bark in the distance and dived back into action, limping through the everlasting trees. Mary claimed she couldn't even see the sky of all the brown dust flaking the air. It made her cough uncontrollably but she carried on, her eyes almost closed of pain.

Mary's eyes squinted as she saw a shadow further into the wild trees. She dragged herself forward, looking up at the night's sky. It was night already and she was completely lost and alone. Sterling's short barks were long gone but she carried on to the shadow.

A large scream came from her mouth as she backed away and fell onto her back. A dead man was hung on a tree with his throat slit. Fresh blood was trickling down onto the mud, making an oozing puddle of brown liquid. Mary focused on the man. He was a servant. She could tell by his clothing; a simple shirt with trousers that could be mistaken as shorts. That night Mary wept for this man who had died. He was innocent for all she knew.

Mary plucked up the courage to go back to the castle even though she had no idea where she was going and the forest was pitch black. After a short amount of walking, Mary lay down on the hard floor of mud and through the trees she could see a single star shining not very bright but bright enough for Mary to smile to herself.

A small bark came from the left of Mary and her head whipped around to see Sterling panting but still running at her with his short legs. Mary laughed out loud as the dog came nearer and hugged it warmly. This was the first time Mary realised how cold she was. Sterling's tail wagged quickly, vibrating against Mary's touch. She let out a cold sigh and started trudging through the forest once more, eager to not give up.

After a long walk with only Sterling's fur at her feet to comfort her, a bright light was spotted by Mary in the distance of the moonlight. Horse hooves were clattering at the mud and a raspy sound was heard. The light came closer and closer and Mary started waving her hands frantically for help. The horse neared and came to a halt just in front of her. The horse was no bigger than a white Shetland pony and on top of it stood no one but Bash.

Bash's blue eyes widened with relief as he looked down at Mary. She was somewhat still clean looking with only a little dirt running up her ankles and mud stuck up her nails. Her face was soft and scared as she looked up at Bash and gasped at his presence.

"Mary, what are you doing here? You know that the French take up a lot of time to look after you and then you go out and try and get yourself killed. You have a death wish!" he shouted at her but not angrily, more like an "I'm glad I found you" kind of way. His face was even more outlined in the darkness but Bash was holding a weak lantern that was sparking only his hand.

"I was looking for my dog. He ran into the forest." She replied in a shaky voice. Her whole body was trembling with coldness instead of fear. Bash admired her. She was brave to come into the forest all by herself with no protection or guidance.

"What were you thinking? This is the Blood Woods, you could have seen something!" Bash's voice was hoarse but all he wanted to do was hug Mary; she was trembling even more now. Her lips quivered as she leaned back on a tree helplessly.

"I already did see something. I saw –" Mary's eyes shut as her legs wavered. Bash quickly jumped of his horse and ran to Mary, catching her as she fell into his arms. She was light and still awake.

"Your brother's an ass and I can't feel my legs." She cursed under her breath as Bash picked her up bridal style and set her on his miniature horse. Mary felt like she couldn't walk anymore and that made her eyes water slightly. Her legs were completely numb and Bash was looking at her with humours.

"And what makes you think that Francis is an ass but I can bet I know." He laughed. Mary smirked.

"I think your bet is correct." She winced in pain as her feet moved. The feeling of them was coming back slowly. Bash glanced at her vividly but had a worried look on his face.

"I'm fine." Mary said and shivered under her thin layers. Bash quickly took off his cape and gently hung it around Mary's bare shoulders, savouring the feel of her mild skin. Her breath hitched but she then hung onto the cape with her fingertips.

"Come on, or we will be late for the wedding." Bash joked and Mary pulled off a crooked smile as he pulled the horse's mane gently. It whinnied and galloped away, making clouds of dust appear after every step. Mary's hair flew back like a soaring pigeon as the horse ran through the endless trees. Bash looked back at her, his luminous eyes wide with envy. He was jealous.

Mary looked at her dress. It was fully bright green with blue streaks at the skirt; perfect for her. The only problem was that she couldn't walk properly. Her feet would collapse every time she stood up. The dress was soft at her touch with lace at the sleeves. Bash had left her at the bottom of the stairs where she insisted that she could walk. From there she had held herself upright by clenching the banister and then leaning on the wall until she came to her chambers.

As she wrestled into the dress, she slipped on the long fabric and landed luckily on her bed. After resolving what to do about not being able to walk, she decided to go to Nostradamus after putting on the impossible dress. It was perfect size as she slid it on carefully after attempts of lying on her bed and pulling on it again and again.

Mary looked in the mirror. The dress was strapless with thin lace around the long sleeves and then bright green shimmered and extended until the skirt where it blended with the ocean blue. Mary's dark brown hair was styled into a half pony with two thin plaits at each side and a small, purple flower embedded at the root of her hair. She looked beautiful.

Nostradamus' lair w smelt of burnt cinnamon and crackling fire. The stone stairs leaded Mary to a small room made of stone with a lit fireplace at the corner. There was nothing but a woollen bed and a cupboard filled with small bottles packed with colourful mixtures. The room was dark and in the corner, a man stood staring into space.

Nostradamus looked up from his daydream or what Mary thought was a vision; he was psychic after all. He looked at Mary with anger and Mary backed away, stumbling on her legs.

"Um, Nostradamus, I was wondering if you could, um, heal my legs. I can't really walk on them." She uttered after taking a deep breath. His eyes softened and he advanced towards her slowly. He was tall with flashing eyes and a short beard. Mary gulped but didn't move.

"Of course, your grace, please." He pointed to the bed and she took a seat after halting for a thought. She raised one of her legs and Nostradamus looked at it. Her foot was swollen and purple from walking barefoot in the forest.

"It is broken but I can cure it. Would you like me to?" He asked but to Mary it sounded like a demand more than a pure suggestion. She nodded instantly and Nostradamus chuckled.

"Of course you have to give me something in return." He said in a cold voice. Mary started panicking and her breaths became shorter by the second. She dreaded what he would say if she agreed. She played it safe.

"What do you want?" her voice was sharp as she intended but a little unsteady. Nostradamus' looked back at her with a brutal look.

"I want you to kill someone; anyone." He whispered, nearing her. Mary made a soft voice of fear and lowered her gaze. She wouldn't do it.

"No." she spat at him and rapidly got up and limped to the entrance. A strong hand gripped her shoulder tightly.

"You will pay." Nostradamus howled at her and Mary broke free and threw herself up the stairs without looking back. She had made another enemy without even trying.

Her legs were starting to respond to Mary's stumbling as she went across the main corridor to the ballroom where the wedding party was being held. Inside, there was a cluster of people around Kenna; mostly men. Greer was talking to a single man further in and Lola was with her boyfriend Colin and they were both sipping large amounts of wine.

Mary dragged herself towards Aylee who was sulking in the middle of the room by herself. Her orange dress looked tight on her but she still looked amazing. Her hair was in a fishtail and was drooped down her shoulder elegantly. Her eyes were shyly looking around.

"What's the matter Aylee?" Mary managed to reach Aylee and was now trying to lean casually on a pillar décor. Aylee looked at her in a doubting sort of way and then exhaled.

"Everyone has a lover and I have no one. I want to dance but no one is asking me." Aylee's eyes watered and a small teardrop drizzled down her flushed cheeks. Mary pulled of a small smile and grabbed Aylee's hand heartily and ran with all her might to dance.

"Mary, what are you doing?" Aylee was blushing furiously as she looked around. Mary was spinning her round and round.

"Dance with me, Aylee." She laughed and twirled. Being here and dancing was enough to make her grin fully as Aylee started moving her hands and nodding her head to the active violin music playing in the background.

Mary's other friends joined them, spinning into action. All the friends giggled uncontrollably and danced until their feet hurt. For Mary, her feet were throbbing with pain and her skin was burning with pain but she hid this with a smile. Everyone else crowded around forming a circle and watching the five friends let free. Mary spotted Bash right at the front, smiling at Mary. His eyes were wide with humour as she gazed at him.

Suddenly, Francis pushed past Bash and headed for Mary. She hesitated and then looked away from Francis. He was now next to her and she had stopped dancing. To her, though, this was a relief as her legs were wobbling with might.

"Mary, we need to talk." Francis demanded and Mary glared at him hatefully. He was wearing a suit and he had ruffled hair; probably from the woman in his bedroom. Mary was still annoyed at Francis and wouldn't forgive him very easily. Despite this, she nodded and moved away from her distracted friends.

"Sebastian sent your message of telling me that I'm an ass." He tensed at the words and said them slowly and spitefully.

Mary couldn't help snickering.

"Mary, I'm sorry about what happened. It was a mistake." Francis said smoothly but Mary could tell he was desperate for her forgiveness.

"Look, Francis, you can't just go around doing whatever you want. I think you're even more immature than I am and this can't go on." She hissed at him. Francis fought back.

"If you want to be a royal, you must know this; husbands don't answer to their wives." Mary gasped and then spoke in a bitter voice.

"And you must know that wives don't answer to their husbands so that means I can go fooling around with anyone I want and you can't stop me. You'll regret this, Francis, trust me."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

_**This is my second chapter of The Pagan Law. I kind of need advice on how to make a "romance scene". (I'm talking about kissing, not anything worst)! I'm also thinking of making a chapter more about Bash so I might do a POV of him or anyone else if you guys suggest it. Okaaay then, enjoy and also to clarify: all characters are owned by the TV show Reign so…. Yeah**_

_**PS: I think you guys will hate me for this but I'm adding a love triangle with Bash and someone else… Sorry!**_

_Dear Diary,_

_Today was probably the worst day of my life. First of all, I embarrass myself in front of the royal family by tripping, then I see Francis fooling around with another woman whom I have not seen at all so I could be looking at her right now and not even know it, after that I got lost in an awful forest and then Francis' half-brother Bash has to "save me", then I find out both my legs are broken and I can't get them cured by Nostradamus because he wants me to single- handedly kill someone and then I get into a fight with Francis and threaten him. I don't know what came over me but I was truly angry. We are to be wed in a couple of weeks and he thinks he can disrespect me and expect me to act like everything is fine when actually I am grieving inside. _

_Sincerely_

_Mary_

He was in there. I could see him. I could see him tying it. His fingers dug into his throat and then red liquid guzzled out and dripped onto the ground. It made a noise. He screamed but then all was silent as it tightened around his neck. Foam came out of his mouth and then a gurgling sound. All was lost.

Mary screamed as her eyes flew up. She was in her chamber facing the ceiling. Her door flung open and her eyes swung to who it was. A small servant maid was at her bed, bowing down before her.

"Is there anything wrong, your grace?" her voice wobbled as her eyes fell to Mary. The maid was about fifteen with almost black bags heaving under her grey eyes. Mary felt sorry for the maid. She wished she could do something.

"Yes, I'm really sorry for awaking you. To repay my apology, you can be let off tomorrow to go to your family." Mary smiled warmly as the girl's eyes lit up. She grinned and bowed after scuttling away from Mary to her own room. Mary loved the way people smiled. In fact, she loved being the one to make people smile. She worked hard to please everyone but sometimes that wasn't possible and Mary would despair or feel guilty.

Mary was up before anyone else and plaited her hair into two plaits. She then put on a plain, white tunic and then a red, hooded cloak to finish her look. She skipped having breakfast and went straight to the stables. It was six and only a few servants were awake, cooking or cleaning, to bow to Mary. She bowed back to them to show that she wasn't a true royal and left them looking at her, bewildered.

The stable smelt of horse poo and old hay was scattered around the floors of each horse cabin. Mary knew only one horse that was her best friend since childhood: Bramble. Bramble was an old Auvergne horse with a dark brown mane and black hair. He was old now but could still run and jump around the meadows just fine. Mary reached Bramble and gently stroked the animal's hair.

After adjusting the harness, Mary climbed onto the horse with her almost-healed feet and then whispered in Bramble's ear to go. The horse set off powerfully with Mary leaning back and tasting the morning wind. Bramble whinnied and galloped faster through the grass. The high sunlit clouds drifted across the clear grey sky. It was dull and rain was threatening to come as the wind danced through the bristled leaves of the nearby trees.

Mary, however, loved the rain. The way fat, icy droplets soared from the mist of the heavens and reached the ground. The way they landed on Mary's cheeks, making it look like she were crying. The way the pure liquid landed on her fingertips, making her lick them again and again of thirst. The way they made everything slop like the mud, creating a large mess as she would have stepped through bare-footed.

As Bramble ran on, rain started lightly spitting at Mary and she laughed gently. Oh how she had missed the rain. The large horse slowed down to a steady trot as they neared the edge of the blood forest. It looked innocent from the outside as if it were luring prey into its real form. Mary guided Bramble further away from the forest and back through the meadows. Now soft rain was hitting Mary, running diagonally because of the wind's direction and blinding Mary.

A quiet whinny came from her right and she looked away from the rain to see Bash riding an Anglo-Arabian horse that was pearl white with an arched and long neck. He controlled his horse over by Bramble's side.

"This is Winston." Bash said, pointing to his horse who struggled to keep up with Bramble's speed. Mary reached out a hand and stroked Winston and then thought it as a miracle that she managed to not fall off her horse as she took her hand back.

"And, of course, you know who this is." She answered back, lowering her gaze on Bramble. Bash grinned at Bramble and then reached out to try and stroke him. For Bash, however, it didn't work out and his leg slid of Winston's horse. Mary grabbed his hand as he was about to topple over and he managed to regain his balance. She let go of his hand at once, not remembering what it felt like touching it. Bash blushed a dark shade of red.

"I'm sorry; I'm not normally this clumsy." He said shakily. Mary laughed.

"You're speaking with a person who falls for a living." Bash smiled and speeded up his horse. A cheeky smirk appeared on his face.

"A race?" he asked and Mary's eyes shot up in a competitive way as she nodded. The rain was now drenching both of them as they rode by each other's sides, going round in laps. Mary eyed Bash as she rode on ahead of him but was slipping from her horse as the rain fell on her. Bash caught up with her and launched to the imaginary finish line with Mary only seconds behind.

"You are a worthy opponent." He joked. Mary chuckled and slid fully off Bramble who was now exhausted. Bash and Mary headed back to the stables in silence, gripping their horses. Mary sighed, zoning in back to reality.

"Bash, I need to tell you something." He looked at her, his smile fading entirely as he looked at her serious frown. Wisps of her hair flew in her face, sticking to her wet cheeks.

"What is it?" he said in a low voice as Mary's expression became fierce.

"In the woods I saw a d - dead man. He was hanging from a tree and his throat was cut. I thought I had imagined it but now I am not so sure." Her voice was wobbling and scared. Bash's eyes widened with anger as she paused to see his reaction.

"Bash, if you know something–" Bash interrupted her with aggression in his voice.

"I don't. I don't know anything." And with that, he pulled at Winston and walked away from her. Mary was wordless as she was left standing by herself. She was going to go back into the forest. She was going to find out what was in there and who killed the person.

Mary put Bramble back into the empty stable and left unwillingly. If she could, she would have spent all day with the old horse but she needed to prepare for her first time in French court stood by Francis' side. The one thing Mary dreaded was facing Francis and what he would spitefully say to her. He had changed so much since she had last seen him as a child but then again, so had she. In Francis' opinion, however, she was still the funny and clumsy child she had been years ago.

As Mary entered her chambers, all four of her ladies in waiting stood and were waiting for her angrily. Lola stepped forward.

"Mary, where were you? Francis has been looking everywhere. He wanted to apologise." She exclaimed, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. Mary sighed. She didn't want to talk to Francis. Greer shuffled across next to Lola. She was still wearing her yellow dress from yesterday but it was slightly crumpled and her hair was in a loose plait. Mary could tell she hadn't slept but what had kept her awake?

"I was riding." Mary said to her friends. All of them were weary and couldn't look Mary in the eyes.

"Were you able to sleep last night, Mary?" Aylee spoke in a soft voice that frightened Mary. She backed away from her tired friends and pressed her lips into a straight line as they all stared at her.

"Y-yes, um, I was able to. Why?" her voice swayed high at the end. Greer looked sideways at Kenna who shuddered. Something happened last night; Mary was sure of it.

"There were noises that kept us awake last night; noises from the forest." Kenna spoke or the first time, her voice was haunting and quiet. Last night, Mary had a nightmare but she heard no noises but the ones in it; whistling from the wind and whispers in a foreign language that she couldn't remember. That wasn't real though; it was a nightmare.

"I heard nothing. I think you should all have a day off and go and have a rest." She cleared her voice and plastered on a fake smile. All four girls smiled weakly and pushed past each other to their chambers. Mary exhaled and shivered under her cape. Another problem was that she had to go to court and see Francis. He would look at her with hate and then she would stare ahead in silence, ignoring all his comments and statements he would force out of his mouth. If he were to apologise, he wouldn't mean it.

Mary shifted into a tight dress that she thought was the most appropriate out of them all. Most were too short or too fancy. This dress was a red linen gown sort with a yellow ribbon tied loosely at the waist. She tied her hair into a plaited bun and then pinned it with a white, cotton ribbon, leaving a small, curly wisp of her hair free to dangle.

As she entered the court room, everyone was already seated neatly around a large space. A few chairs were placed at the back for important nobles and there were four seats positioned on a high platform. Queen Catherine, King Henry and Francis were already seated and were staring at Mary.

A few men who were standing tilted their heads doubtfully as Mary hurried through the middle area to her seat, making a large noise with her loud heels stamping on the floor. She kept her eyes down to not face the embarrassment and glares. Her chair was too high and she had to jump up and grip the edges of it with her hands to be seated.

Francis next to her sighed and then finally, three men stumbled into the room. A noble stepped forward to greet them but only shook one of the men's hands.

"These three men have claimed that they saw a couple of Englishmen nearing the castle unarmed." The noble said in a rough manner. One of the men looked up at Mary and cleared his voice.

"The men may want to kill Mary Stuart, what do we do with these Englishmen, your grace?" he started to frighten Mary. He was asking her; someone with no experience in making hard decisions. Mary stood from her uncomfortable chair and raised her head to look at the other nobles.

"I want you to invite them in and treat them as important guests. I also want to talk to them unaccompanied. They will not say anything if guards are with me." Francis looked at Mary, his eyes widening. He never knew she was capable of answering to important nobles so wisely; especially with no experience in the field.

"But, your grace, they can attempt to kill you." One of the men said. He looked about forty with visible wrinkles under his eyes. Mary spoke again even louder directly at him.

"I will take that risk at my own will." Some gaped at Mary but some stared in awe. Everyone loved a brave queen that was willing to risk than to play it safe. The court finished after five more debates on which Mary helped with two and Henry with the other three that were none of her business.

Before Francis could say anything, Mary was out of the room to her chambers to get out of the uncomfortable dress that was now making her itch. As she slipped out of the red dress, there was a soft knock at the door. Mary cursed under her breath and screamed for whoever it was to wait.

After scanning through the packed wardrobe, she set her eyes upon a long gown with a U neck that didn't even show her collar bones. It was dark blue with white, puffy sleeves and came just past her knees. It was a little big but Mary found it very comfy. The knock came again and Mary pulled her hair out and left it simply down with no style but it was well brushed and made Mary look professional.

She finally flung the door open and saw Francis nervously standing in front of her, leaning on one leg. His hair was brushed back and he was still wearing his court clothing. Mary herself leaned on the door edge and rolled her eyes.

"Listen, Mary, I wanted to congratulate you for making a good reputation for yourself in the court room. All the nobles are really impressed with your attitude." He mumbled at her, changing to his other leg.

"Thank you." Mary managed to suss out and then reached out for the door to close it before the conversation got even more awkward than it was. Francis put his hand out and blocked out the entrance.

"Look, Mary, we need to talk. I didn't mean what I said and neither did you." He was looking at her patiently for a reply. Mary shook her head in disbelief at him.

"What if I did mean it?" Francis stared at her, annoyed. He always knew she was difficult to handle but this had gone too far.

"Can't we at least be friends? We are to be wed sooner or later." Mary shrugged like a child. She didn't want to be Francis' friend. Inside, she wished there was one tiny part of him that maybe loved her. The question was: did she love Francis? Did anything inside of her feel for him at all? She didn't know. She didn't know Francis properly.

"Alright then. Friends." She pulled off a small smile. Francis beamed back at her.

"As your friend I'm asking you: don't talk to those Englishmen, please." He pleaded her and she retreated back into her chambers a little as he looked at her. He was practically begging her. He _did_ care about her; but Mary was determined to see the men. She shook her head with disagreement and Francis' eyes lowered down as he smiled sadly at the ground.

"I'm sorry, Francis, but I have to do this." She murmured. Francis motioned toward her and gripped her hands with his. Mary hated the feeling. His hands were warm and tingly and they were calm. If he loved her, his pulse would be racing but he was still and casual. Mary withdrew her hands hastily and looked away.

"I'll see you later." He mumbled and left. When Mary dared to look back, Francis was gone. She was honestly frightened of Francis emotionally. She was frightened if she loved him, he would shatter her heart into pieces. The good thing was that Mary didn't love him.

Mary spent the rest of the day reading in her room and when she heard another knock on the door, she got interrupted. She opened the door and a guard bowed to her.

"The Englishmen are here as predicted and they would like to speak with you. There is a group of twenty but the come in peace. Only one would like to speak with you, the leader." Mary took a deep breath and paraded the corridor after the large guard to an unknown door. The guard left her and she knocked at the door.

A handsome man opened the door. He was shaved and had blonde, tousled hair that covered his forehead. He seemed like in his early twenties and had three English guards surrounding Mary instantly. Her heart skipped a beat as she bit her lip as hard as she could in terror. Bitter blood filled her mouth and she gulped the ghastly liquid naturally.

"Hello, your grace, as you know, England and Scotland are enemies, yes?" his voice wasn't deep but it was filled with dark humour. Mary assaulted herself from screaming and instead lifted her head in pride.

"Yes, correct, why are you here?" He smiled coldly and it made Mary want to vomit. She challenged his smile and raised her eyebrows whilst flashing her eyes furiously. Her temper normally made people back away from her. This person however, smiled even more cruelly deliberately to annoy Mary and she scowled.

"I have an offer to make to you and I strongly advise you to take it." His voice was cold-hearted and Mary flinched. Then she tried to confront him.

"And what if I don't take the offer?" Her voice sounded child-like. The guy chuckled softly and took a step forward. Mary stepped back and he laughed again.

"Then you will regret it for the rest of your life." He spat. Mary smirked loudly and crossed her arms, leaning on the wall casually.

"Alright then, what is this offer you are willing to give to me?" she asked, sounding too curious. He stepped forward again and Mary couldn't do anything as she was pressed against a wall.

"Leave us." He spoke to his guards without taking his eyes off Mary. She gulped as the guards ambled through the door quickly. Mary found him extremely intimidating and dug her hands into the wall, making claw marks in the plain wallpaper.

"Tell me." She flared as he looked at the clawed marks. The man stole her hand from the side of the wall and clenched onto it fiercely. He prized it open and Mary's mouth opened but before she could object, he spoke.

"You've been out somewhere. Royals shouldn't have dirt under their nails. Where have you been going?" Mary snarled and hauled her hand from his grasp. He laughed but looked at her questionably.

"That's none of your business, guy!" she squeaked. He roared with laughter and Mary looked confusion.

"Did you just call me guy? My name is Nicholas!" Mary looked displeased and crossed her hands once more.

"Are you going to tell me your offer or can I leave, I need to be somewhere." She hissed in his ear. His smile grew louder. Could this guy even frown?

"I won't tell you until you tell me where you have been going." Mary was tempted to growl at him but controlled her temper and blushed.

"I was in the forest. I want to find out what's in there. I saw a dead man hanged and his throat cut. There is something in there and I'm going to find out what." She whispered in a quiet voice and Nicholas' eyes diluted in fear.

"Did you go by yourself?" he asked. Finally, he was serious and there was no humour in his voice. Mary nodded.

_Dear Diary,_

_Today I met an Englishman called Nicholas and he offered me peace between England and Scotland but this is only possible if I do something: if I marry him. I don't want to break the alliance with France. Marrying Nicholas will cost Scotland France's friendship but the whole point of the alliance with France was to protect Scotland from England and if we ally with England then we won't need protection. Nicholas is the most important noble of English court and I am the rightful heir to the English throne as Elizabeth is illegitimate. I don't know if I should marry Francis, who I do not love or Nicholas, who I don't know. He didn't really make a good impression when I met him. Now I am preparing for the party the French threw for the English arrivals but I am not looking forward on meeting up with Nicholas. However, he has offered to help me track down what is in the forest but I think that Bash knows something; he has been avoiding me all day after our encounter in the meadows with our horses._

_Sincerely_

_Mary_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

_**Hi, thanks for all your support and thank you for reading my fanfic. My last one isn't really going so well but I won't give up on it; just give it a break and focus on this one because I really enjoy writing it. In this there is going to be more Nicholas/Mary drama and I'm really sorry but I just find it fun making up my own characters and I adore love triangles. Of course I love Bash the most! Next chapter, I promise I'll make a Bash POV or maybe a diary entry or something like that. Please review and I'll review you back! Okay then, I hope you find this chapter interesting…**_

_**Disclaimer: all characters and some plot belongs to the TV show Reign**_

Mary followed her four friends to her chamber after meeting with Nicholas. She wanted to forget him completely; she wanted to be distracted from making choices. Her chambers was messy with dirty dresses slung over her bed and a few thrown on the floor. Greer tutted at the sight and kneeled down to pick up the crumpled dresses. She was always a neat freak and wanted everything to be tidy. Kenna rummaged through Mary's wardrobe.

All of her friends were ready for the party with tight dresses and stylish hair curled and accessorized with bows and flowers. Mary was still not prepared and was now only in her under garments, throwing clothes out of her wardrobe. Most of them Greer would dive and catch and when Mary looked back, dresses were piled on top of Greer and her hair lifted up with the static. Mary laughed and went back to throwing dresses in disagreement.

Her hands caught on a smooth dress and she laid it out on her bed. It was light violet and plain with a thin, leather belt hung at the waist. It was relatively long with short sleeves but the main room would be warm. Mary looked at her friends and smiled.

"Ladies, I have a dress." They all giggled hysterically and waited outside Mary's chambers as she fumbled into the soft dress. The violet made her hair stand out as she looked in the mirror. It was simple but effective and Mary looked beautiful. The dress showed her delicate physique and slim figure as she smoothed it out carefully.

Kenna was first in the room and ran to Mary, smiling.

"Mary! You look amazing!" she exclaimed, turning Mary around and gripping chunks of her hair. Kenna was an expert when it came to hairstyles. She gently crafted Mary's thin hair with her pianist fingers whilst the other girls fashioned their hair into plaits and half ponies. Kenna took her time, brushing Mary's hair at the side making the brush nip at Mary's ear as she drew it back.

Mary looked at the mirror. Two French plaits were at the side of her face and were tied with a purple ribbon at the back in a half pony. The ribbon was the same shade of violet as the dress. Kenna was now plucking at her own hair and Mary went to help her. Greer was wearing a similar dress to the one Mary had gotten her as it was still yellow but was short-sleeved with gold beads for a décor.

Mary heard the chattering of unclear voices as she and her friends marched through the main corridor. The door of the main room was fully open and two guards stood, unblinking at both sides. They bowed as Mary passed and her friends stayed closed behind as they entered the overflowing party.

The party fell silent as Mary walked through. Men and women eyed her, their mouths open and Mary swallowed in the silence. Eyes were gawking as she casually pushed through to a corner.

There were golden lanterns hung at each wall and were shining brightly like stars and a giant fireplace that a cluster of people were stood near. They were rubbing their hands at the warmth of the fire, some talking to each other and some even kissing. Mary smirked as she passed them and found herself lost in the middle of laughter and a cheap wine smell filled her lungs. As she pushed through blurs of people, she felt as if she was going to suffocate, being short and blanketed under tall people of all sizes.

A strong hand pulled at Mary's wrist, at she was lead through the large amount of people. She held her breath as she finally found air and sucked in fresh oxygen. Someone was still clutching her wrist with a tight grip and she looked up. It was Nicholas.

"Hallo, your grace." He bowed down. Mary scowled at him.

"My name is Mary." She protested and he responded with a slight nod.

"Shall we dance, _Mary_?" Nicholas held out his hand and Mary sighed. She took it and Nicholas grinned. They reached the middle of the ballroom and he teasingly spun Mary around. She laughed and then regretted it.

"See, you are having fun!" he cheered as Mary smiled quickly. Nicholas step forward as the music changed to a slow sonnet. Mary tentatively placed her hands on his shoulders and he slid his hand on her waist and the other one on her back. Her breath hitched as she quivered at his touch but then relaxed. His hand pulled her even closer and she swallowed down a splutter.

Nicholas was looking straight at her and Mary didn't want to look back. After gazing down at nothing in particular, she finally looked up into his eyes. They were amber with gold flecks; extremely light and luminous. Mary looked away and suddenly spotted Bash entering the room and looking directly at her and Nicholas.

"Excuse me." She murmured an apology to him and pulled herself to Bash despite the many people. Bash' eyes flashed with envy once more and Mary ignored his look at Nicholas. Bash finally tore his gaze away from him to Mary and she scowled at him.

"You know something about that forest." She snapped at him more angrily than intended. Bash shrugged.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He fibbed. Mary already could tell that when he lied, his eyes moved another direction.

"Yes you do and I'm going to find out what." Bash fixated his glance on Mary. He was furious but Mary didn't care. She walked away and paused as Bash spoke after her.

"If you do anything stupid, Mary, I swear I will not forgive you." Mary huffed. She didn't want Bash's weak forgiveness. Inside, however, she cared for Bash. That is why she wanted to find out what he was so frightened of in that dreaded forest. She was going to go back into it tonight but she was going to have to face her fear of being in the dark and that wasn't going to be easy.

"Where are you going?" a voice asked. She turned to look at Nicholas who was standing behind the exit. Mary needed to be back before daylight and that is why she had to leave immediately. After telling Lola that she felt sick and was going back to her chambers, she had sneaked past Francis who was looking for her and was now about to leave the giant room. Nicholas was unfortunately in her way, being nosy as always.

"I feel sick, I'm going to bed." She lied, her foot shuffling at the carpet ground. Nicholas smiled.

"You do know I know when you are lying. Your nose twitches." Mary blushed and tried again to escape stealth mode. Nicholas frowned at her.

"You're going back into that forest, aren't you?" his voice was emotionless. Mary gulped.

"I'll see you in the morning, alright?" her voice was shaking. Nicholas shook his head.

"No. I'm coming with you." Mary blinked and then her mouth flew wide open. He would prefer going in a spooky forest than staying at a party to protect her?

"Really?" disbelief flooded her voice. Nicholas nodded, completely serious about what he had said and Mary slowly nodded back to him.

"Alright then, um, I was wondering if I could borrow some trousers." She mumbled under her breath and Nicholas had to strain his ears to hear what she was saying. After looking at her scepticism, he nodded and Mary turned crimson. She loved wearing men clothes and did Nicholas really expect her to go rampaging about with a dress?

Both Mary and Nicholas trampled up the stairs with great speed and she followed him through an unknown corridor to a room. He burst into the room and threw a black trousers and a white top at Mary and she caught them with one hand before examining them thoroughly.

"You can just change in here." Nicholas implied casually. Mary groaned and pointed at Nicholas to get out. He shook his head and pulled off a crooked smile.

"I need to get changed too. Don't worry; I won't look if you won't." Mary shuddered in her dress and then slid out of it quickly before pulling on the shirt and trousers promptly. She squeezed her eyes shut, noticing that Nicholas hadn't yet finished changing and patiently waited.

After a short amount of time, he too was ready and Nicholas looked at Mary.

"You look pretty in boy clothes." Mary blushed once more and turned away. They walked and Nicholas started ranting on about nothing in particular. Instead of listening to him, Mary looked straight ahead and thought of the forest. She was scared of the dark but at least being with someone made some of the fears retrieve from her.

Outside, the only thing visible was the dark green outline of the grass and the stables at the further end. Mary ran and Nicholas was at her heel as they reached the stable. Mary took Bramble out of his stable and ushered Nicholas to another horse she had remembered from Bash was called Thorn. The thought of Bash made her stomach churn. If he knew what she was doing, he would stop her but there was nothing in her way. This was all for him; Mary reassured herself of this as she climbed onto Bramble's back.

Nicholas dived onto Thorn's back. Thorn was black and this reminded Mary of the midnight sky and he was also one of the largest horses in the stable meaning Nicholas had to take up twice the effort on getting onto him. The two of them set off to the start of the wood on horseback.

Mary screwed up her eyes and tried to look ahead. The moonlight was making ghostly imprints on the soil beneath making shadows Mary didn't dare to look at for long otherwise she could see fangs and eyes lurking through the devilish darkness. She was scared of the dark. In the time she lived in Scotland, she would spend nights rarely asleep and ravishing the beauty of the moon. However, she heard sounds and saw things in the darkness and her mother didn't care. Mary shed a tear quietly at the thoughts of those hours and hours of night. She would wish that night never came as she would have had to go back to bed and faced the fear once more.

A loud cricket chirp pulled Mary back to reality and she shook her drowsy head in haste. Nicholas next to her was staring straight ahead. There was nothing but a jungle of trees and low hanging branches that would every so often cling on to Mary. Nicholas jumped off his horse and gestured for Mary to do the same.

"We'll walk on foot from now on. It's more comfortable. Leave the horses here and we'll come back for them later." He added and Mary nodded tiredly. She tied Bramble to a hanging branch, making sure the rope was double-looped so that Bramble couldn't escape. After kissing Bramble's hair, she walked over to Nicholas who had already started trekking up a small slope.

Mary tensed her walk as she heard the foreign language being chanted from the distance. She tapped Nicholas lightly and pressed her lips together as she pointed to where she thought she heard it from. He nodded and scrambled through the mud to Mary who was now tiptoeing toward a group of three people.

The three people were chanting prayers and dancing in a circle, surrounding a dead man. Different to the man Mary saw the night before. Nicholas' breath was ragged from next to her but Mary couldn't comfort him for she was more frightened than him. Her face was pale and sweat trickled down from her forehead. Her hands felt clammy as she squeezed them together. They were bleeding by the time she let go and she wiped the blood quickly on the grass.

"They're gone." Nicholas' voice was hoarse. Mary looked forward only to see a lifeless body on the ground like a rag doll. She ran to the body and dropped down to it, her head bent down in respect. Nicholas was soon to follow, kneeling down and grimacing. Mary rested her single finger on the man's neck and heard a small pulse; a lump jumping through his skin to her finger. She exhaled and laughed whilst panting at the same time. He was alive.

"He's alive, come on, let's get him to the castle." Nicholas stared at her wide smile and then nodded. They were both relieved. As they retreated to the place they had tied their horses, Mary heard Nicholas inhale sharply. She gazed forward and looked at the two horses.

Bramble was kneeling down elegantly and chewing on a dirty patch of grass. Mary smiled at the horse but then looked over to where Thorn was. Thorn lay motionless on the ground and his throat was slit in a perfect straight line. Mary shrieked and ran to the dead horse. Dry blood was flaked around his nuzzle and Mary hovered over the injuries. She hadn't known Thorn for very long but her eyes watered. If the dead horse had been Bramble, she would have never forgiven herself or Nicholas who had suggested leaving the horses in the first place.

Nicholas was next to Mary without her even noticing and was soon embracing her. His arms were wrapped around her tightly and she buried her face in his shoulders. She thought about what she was doing; hugging a man who had proposed to her and probably giving him the wrong idea. She let out a sigh and broke the touch.

"One horse will have to do." Nicholas exhaled and looked away from Mary to pick up the injured man. Mary had a feeling that whoever was killing these people wouldn't be happy with them. She climbed onto the horse with Nicholas' help and then hurled the unconscious body right at the back. She felt sorry for Bramble as he wobbled on his weak hooves back through the forest.

"I'm sorry you had to come and see this." Mary sighed as they got off the horse. The unconscious man was draped around Mary's shoulder as she waited for Nicholas to put Bramble back. One stable was empty: Thorn's stable. Mary looked away in guilt. What was the French going to say? Nicholas smiled weakly and shook his head.

"No, I'm glad that wasn't just you by yourself. Besides, your single horse would have been killed and you wouldn't have been able to get back." Mary nodded in agreement when suddenly; a figure crept among the three people. Mary yelped in surprise and turned around to see Bash.

"What are you doing here?" Mary breathed as she and Nicholas flushed with guilt of the dead horse still in the forest.

"I could ask you the same thing. I told you to not do anything stupid!" he shouted at her. His blue eyes were now flashing with anger and Mary flinched at the tone of his voice. Nicholas' breathing increased as he stepped forward.

"She wasn't doing anything stupid, idiot, she was saving somebody's life!" he yelled back in response. Mary looked up again at the two men who were looking at each other in an "I'm going to kill you" kind of way. Mary sank down, leaning on the stable wall with the man still around her.

"Well, I'm going to go back and get someone to help this man. I'll leave you two to bond." She said sarcastically. Nicholas smirked at her. She turned away, the man's body weight leaning on her as she entered the castle.

The party was still going but there were fewer people and less wine left. Mary hurried towards the nearest guard who was now gawping at the man Mary was holding upright.

"This man needs help. He's injured." She pleaded and the guard nodded before taking the body from her and leaving to cure him. Mary sighed in relief and looked over to the entrance. Bash was standing at the doorway. He walked over to Mary.

"Mary, I'm sorry I shouted at you. It's just that I don't want you to get hurt; the forest is a dangerous place for a royal." Mary's mouth opened wide and she crossed her arms.

"So you're saying that I should just leave all the work to someone else just because I am a stupid royal. What if I don't want to be a royal?" she screamed it too loud and Bash's eyes widened in horror. His mouth faltered but then heaved up in a crooked smile.

"_You _don't want to be queen, do you?" he said in a blackmailing tone. Mary uncrossed her arms and tapped her foot irritatingly on the floor.

"Um, yes I do." She said in the most unconvincing voice. Bash smirked and stepped closer to her.

"I think you just want to be out in the wild; roaming and free." Mary gave up and nodded, furiously.

"Look, I hate it. I don't get a choice in who I love or what I have to be. I can't go out without guards trailing after me, I can't wear anything without permission and I can't fight my own battles because I'm a royal and I have duties and expectations. Do you know how horrible it is not having a decision in life?" Mary spat all the words out angrily to Bash who was now looking at her emotionless.

He ran his hand through his hair, not knowing what to say.

"And we are not dropping the subject about what is in that forest." She added, glaring at him. Bash sighed and took a step backwards. His lips pursed as if he were about to tell her everything but he held back and looked down at the floor.

"I don't trust you." He lied to her face. Mary could feel water filling her eyes and slightly lifted her head back so the tears would stay in them and not fall onto her cheeks. Mary never cried. Her voice wobbled as she said the next line.

"Well I'm sorry that I tried to care about you, Bash. Next time warn me so that I don't have to." With that, she sashayed with her back turned to him to her chambers. The corridor was dark even when she heard the small music noise coming from the main room where the party continued in full force. It was like she was in a whole different world to it though; a dark world where nothing felt right and darkness surrounded the air naturally. She hated this world but it was the true one she lived in.

_Dear Diary,_

_Tonight I came to the party created to greet the Englishmen in peace and Nicholas was there. We danced and then I saw Bash. He told me not to do anything stupid but I didn't listen to him and went to the forest with Nicholas. _

_We saw a group of people sacrificing an innocent man but as they left, I checked and could hear that his heart was still faintly beating. After that, we went back with the injured man and one of the horses Thorn was killed. Thank goodness it wasn't Bramble. I was thankful that Nicholas came with me otherwise my single horse would be killed and that would have been Bramble. _

_I still don't like Nicholas and I'm still considering his proposal but I do owe him a lot. I'm also completely sure that Bash knows something about the forest but he said he didn't trust me which I am still very angry about at that matter. I haven't seen Francis for a long time know but Catherine seems happy we are not very happy with each other as she dislikes me for no reason but I think it is because she is concerned for her son. _

_Sincerely_

_Mary_

_**Hope you liked this chapter and I'll be posting chapter four soon but for now, keep watching Reign and keep being amazing! I also read quite a few fanfictions on the Divergent series and I don't know why but I ship Tris and Peter. I always ship people who are not meant to be together but seriously: Mary and Bash are destined to be together and I can't believe (SPOILER) they are married to other people now and not each other!**_

_**NOOOOOOOO!**_

_**I'll see you next time! **_

_**Musikat xxx**_


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